Obstacles
by IndonesianElephant
Summary: Tidus wants to be with Sora, despite Sora's questionable past. There're just some obstacles they need to pass.
1. Chapter 1

So this story's been in my computer for quite a while, complete up to chapter three, and four is nearly complete. It's been on my list of things to submit, because I've developed a soft spot for Tidus and Sora as a couple. Poor Sora's a little OOC in this... not too much, though. Just goes to show you that even the happiest people get sad. D; It was hard to write Riku in this (who comes up in the second chapter) because he's not exactly a good guy. XD I kept thinking about which fangirls would chew my head off. Feedback _plx_, to tell me if I should even bother continuing this. It'll be more than four chapters, but probably less than seven. I won't be upset if I get more nays then yeas. Just don't nay me 'cause it's not your cup o' tea. D;

So I'll have something else to boast (?) about besides Of Fallen Angels and Porcelain Feathers, enjoy! ;D Title's kinda misleading...

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Tidus and Sora had been best friends for a long time. Not forever, but pretty damn long anyway. So when Sora came to him, in tears and heartbroken and worse than he'd ever seen the brunette before, Tidus was shocked. And then he was pissed at whoever made his best friend so…un-Sora like.

Tidus stood in front of the door, gripping the handle tightly still. "H-hey, Tidus…" Sora smiled sadly through his tears. Even now, Sora was trying to act like it was all okay. Tidus' hand tightened on the knob, his knuckles now white. "Are you busy…? I just need to talk." At this, Tidus immediately stepped aside to let his friend in. "You can talk to me whenever, Sora. You know that…" Tidus tried his best to smile, he really did, but it seemed that the feature was only enabled when Sora himself was smiling. Even raising the corners of his mouth minutely took more effort than he would have liked. Sora turned to look at Tidus. He briefly gave thanks to whatever deity was up there; Sora's tears had stopped, but there were still fresh tear trails on his cheeks. What could have made his bright, sunny friend so…so like _this_?

"You…wanna go to the kitchen? Or…" At the brunette's suggestion, Tidus shook his head. "My room's fine." Sora looked a little uncomfortable at the suggestion, but nodded and started up the stairs. This especially was odd to Tidus; whenever they needed to talk about anything, his room was always the preferred spot to go to. Tidus's room, in simpler terms, was Sora's room. He briefly wondered, as he trekked up the stairs, if Riku was that close to Sora. He felt the slightest pang of…_jealousy_ at the thought.

Once in Tidus' room, he realized the tense atmosphere much more in a smaller room. Tidus was…unsure how to handle people when they were like this; he was much better at just blurting his feelings out. He gave a semi-smile and sat on the bed, motioning Sora over. There was that look of nervous discomfort but Sora sat beside Tidus anyway, putting a lot of (unneeded, in Tidus' opinion) space between them. "So…what happened…?"

And Tidus immediately regretted asking when Sora let out a particularly loud sob and those tears came all over again, re-wetting the old tracks so that the white streaks became glistening trails once more. _Way to go, Tidus! You couldn't ask something like, "Are you okay?" or "Nice weather out there, huh?" _But Tidus knew the question was inevitable, and that if he didn't ask, then Sora would have gotten to it himself. Tidus would have waited silently all night if he had to, if it made his friend any better. That was what friends did.

But damn, did friends hurt so much when other friends cried, as though each tear that sliced through the air as it fell was also slicing through their hearts? "Sora…" Tidus tried, hands moving as if torn between hugging, touching Sora's shoulder lightly, and just staying out of the way.

"It's R-Riku…" Sora choked out, hand slightly over his mouth as if to muffle his sobs. Tidus, who had decided to get Sora a tissue, dropped the blue cardboard box suddenly. Sora's words repeated themselves in his head. It was…Riku? But they were best friends, as much as Tidus hated to admit (Tidus himself thought he deserved the title of Sora's best friend more than _Riku_.). What could Riku have done…? His anger rose. No, flared.

"He…we've…been dating. Secretly," Sora added at Tidus' lost look. Tidus wondered if Sora saw the hurt on his face, if he was showing it. Because, if he wasn't showing it, he was sure as hell feeling it full force. Did best friends hurt this way when they were told something like that…? Why did it hurt so much? Was it because that silver haired bastard had hurt his best friend, his joy? Yeah, that _had _to be it… _But it just doesn't sit right with me…I shouldn't feel so jealous and…betrayed._

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Tidus, but…I was scared. I didn't tell anyone."

"You could have come to me. I wouldn't have judged you. I could never do that…" Tidus replied, frowning. His voice sounded…different. "Or do you not trust me?" It sounded pleading and scared. But it only reflected his true feelings; was Sora losing faith in Tidus' devotion to their friendship? Were he and Sora…drifting apart? A sharp pain in his chest, his heart, told him what he already knew—he would be heartbroken, even a bit _dead_ if that were to happen. Sora, in the end, was his main reason for even getting out of bed, going to school, doing schoolwork (when Sora made him)…his life was pretty much Sora. And he had nothing but a fading friendship to show for it. But it didn't matter, he would hold on to Sora for as long as he could.

Sora was silent for a long while after that, an upsetting, unsettling silence that nearly made Tidus pull at his hair. "I trust you, Tidus…" Sora spoke, voice small and cracking. "I trust you more than anyone, even more than…_R-Riku_." Sora nearly sobbed the name. "I might trust you too much." At this, Tidus was confused. Too much trust…? What could that mean?

"I rely on you so much…_too _much. And you're always there. Even when no one else is, even if it's not important. You…you once skipped blitzball practice, just to comfort me when I lost my dog. Remember? You got chewed out by the coach, and even had to run laps and do locker room clean up, right?" Sora looked away as he spoke. Tidus cursed; Sora wasn't supposed to know that. He hadn't mentioned anything to the brunette about it, though… "How did you…" Tidus began. "Wakka told me." Sora interrupted.

"I only do those things because I want to, Sora. You're my best friend, and I want to help you." Tidus smiled. It came just a little bit easier this time. He was happy that Sora appreciated Tidus' services, but even if the brunette didn't, Tidus knew he would comfort Sora any day.

They were silent for a long while once more. The silence was almost as bad as the last, but something made it less ominous. "We…had been going out for a while," Sora spoke suddenly, causing Tidus' head to snap to the other male. "And…I _thought_ we were both in love. So…when he asked…I slept with him." Tidus nearly choked, but settled for a sharp squeak. Sora and…Riku?! Disgusted, yes, but more…hurt. Sad…heartbroken, even more so than before. Betrayal and Jealousy came back to say hi once more. Thoughts of, "How _dare_ he touch my Sora in such a way!" and, "That should have been _me_ he did it with!" flooded his mind, but he managed to keep a calm, neutral façade. "O-oh…? So…what happened?" He asked, false nonchalantness lacing his voice. "He…I don't know what happened. After we did it...he got distant. First, he stopped visiting. Then he didn't answer my calls. Then ignored me all together." Sora paused, taking a breath as if to calm himself. "I...asked him why he was being like this. He said that I already gave him what he wanted, and he gave me what _I_ wanted, too. Apparently, he thought I was a whore." Sora gave a bitter smile.

Tidus, at the moment, was gaping widely. He couldn't believe it, didn't _want_ to believe it. Riku thought Sora was a whore. Sora had…slept with Riku. And not Tidus. Sora loved Riku. And not Tidus.

He would murder Riku. There was no question, no doubts. "Please, Tidus…don't look so angry. It wasn't his fault." And Tidus' anger was pushed to the very edge.

"What the hell?! The guy treats you like a…_prostitute_, and you say it's not his fault! He ignores you after you…" Tidus swallowed, not able to even speak of the action. "And…you're still defending him?!" Sora flinched, making Tidus curse and look down guiltily. The last thing he wanted to do was snap at Sora, and he knew Sora didn't need him to. The brunette had probably been beating himself up terribly over it.

"I'm so stupid." Sora sobbed, burying his face in his hands. "You're right…I was a fool to even think he was seriously interested…no one could ever be interested in me…" Tidus frowned, reaching a hand out. He stopped, though, and pulled it back to him. And there it was, there was his friend's true demeanor. The confused, unsure boy that Tidus hadn't seen since grade school.

"Sora…you know that's not true." He tried. Sora smiled sadly at him, and the look in the brunette's eyes almost made Tidus clutch at his own heart in pain. Why…why did he have to fall in love with _Riku_? Why, when Tidus was so willing, so _happy_ to take care of Sora? To love him, make him see how beautiful and wanted he was.

Tidus knew then what he would do as he watched Sora cry, crystalline liquid slipping through the creases his closed fingers made. He leaned over slowly, and grabbed Sora into a tight hug. Sora tensed in his arms. "T-Tidus…" He gasped. "Please…" Tidus interrupted in a breathy whisper. "Please let me…do this. I have to…it's my only purpose." He continued softly. Sora said nothing, instead nuzzling into Tidus' shirt. It felt so good to hold the boy like this; secure and loving. The brunette angel was so...beautiful. Delicate and porcelain and all his…for the moment.

"I…god, Tidus…what am I going to do?" He sobbed harder. "Shh…it's okay. Don't worry about that now." Tidus caught himself just before he pressed a kiss to Sora's forehead; thank goodness the boy's eyes were closed.

"You don't need him, Sora." Tidus spoke suddenly. Sora's eyes, by this time, had grown heavy and half-lidded. His sobs died down to slight sniffles and small hiccups. The boy was falling asleep against his chest, but this sentence startled him. "But Tidus… Who else would love me like that?" Sora's hands grabbed at Tidus' shirt, holding the fabric tightly. Tidus gulped. Could he…? He was putting this all on the line…would Sora even accept him after this?

"I would." He spoke softly. Sora gasped. His whole body stiffened and Tidus panicked. "You…you don't mean that, Tidus." Sora whispered, pulling away. Tidus tugged him back, holding him firmly in place. He wouldn't lose this chance, not yet. If he was going to throw everything away, he figured he might as well tell Sora everything now. "Yes, I do!" He shouted. "Tidus…" Sora started, but Tidus cut him off. "God, Sora…you don't know how long…I've felt this for you. I…don't even know myself. I _know_ I love you. More than _Riku_ does! Dammit, if you would just let me love you…!" Tidus was shaking now; he wondered if Sora could feel it. Spilling all of his emotions like this, ones he didn't even know he had…it was tough.

Sora was silent for a long, torturous while. Tidus couldn't take it anymore. "Will you please answer me?! Say something; _anything_! Tell me you're happy, or tell me you hate me and I'm shit, but don't just stand there!" He blurted. He regretted his words a little when Sora pulled away from the embrace, looking up at him…

Angrily?

"I…can't _believe_ you would _lie_ to me like this!" Sora went from muttering to full out shouting. "You know how much I like you! You _know_, dammit…" He sobbed, falling to his knees in defeat. Tidus was shocked; confused. What did Sora mean…? How much exactly _did_ Sora like him?

"Sora…please, you have to believe me. I wouldn't lie to you, not like this. Does our friendship mean…nothing to you?" He asked, voice showing his hurt freely. "Tidus…no, of course it means something to me…it means the world, actually…" Sora began to struggle with his words.

"I…I can't love you. I want to, but I…" Sora bit his lip. "Wait, so…just what do you feel for me? Please don't lead me on like this." Tidus took Sora's hands in his own, pulling him to stand and holding the dainty hands tightly. From what Sora was saying, it sounded so much like what Tidus wanted to hear so badly…

"Tidus," Sora smiled sadly. "I love you. More than I thought I did Riku…but if I love you, you'll die."

Tidus was shocked. The shock of Sora's confession, coupled with the shock of being told that he would die from loving the brunette effectively left him looking like a dumb deer in the headlights. "Sora…what are you talking about?" He asked slowly, once his mouth worked again. Sora looked as though he was fighting with his words, then with a defeated sigh he laid his head on Tidus' chest. Upon instinct, Tidus' arms wrapped around the brunette's lithe body. "There's…more to the story." He whispered. Tidus raised an eyebrow.

"After Riku began ignoring me…I dunno…I just felt so lonely, and I couldn't tell you; I could never let you know that I had been reduced to…_that_. So…I…with…other people." Sora sighed, and Tidus felt an overwhelming sense of dread come over him as he realized what was to be filled in the blanks. "O-oh…" Was all Tidus could say. What else _could_ he say? "It…wasn't the full thing…that was only Riku." _Ouch. _But at least Sora hadn't been deflowered by multiple people, at least not _that_ way. "But why…who?"

"They…were friends of Riku's and I guess he told them I was good for something other than my looks. A while after we broke up, they came to me with the offer. I accepted." Then Sora shook his head. "They're overprotective…no, possessive. They already told me…what would happen if I tried to go to anyone about it, or if I wanted to be with anyone else." Tidus felt Sora's hands clutch at his shirt desperately. "Sora…" Tidus hugged the boy closer, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I don't care about them. They can't do anything to me, or you. I won't let them." Tidus assured, though he wasn't very sure himself. If they were friends of Riku's, they were trouble. Still…

Sora gasped, looking up at Tidus with big, innocent blue eyes. Those eyes were so beautiful; so blue… Tidus smiled; those eyes belonged to a boy just as innocent as his eyes looked, a boy that loved _him_. Sora loved Tidus. And that was all Tidus needed, fuck Riku and his friends.

"But, Tidus…" Sora was cut off by Tidus' finger on his lips. "Shh." He smiled. "I love you." And with that, Tidus removed his finger and kissed Sora on the lips.

It was amazing. That was the only word that Tidus could think of. Then again, he couldn't think much of anything coherent, now when Sora began to kiss him back in that shy yet skilled way of his. Riku didn't deserve this. Tidus himself may not have either, but Tidus wasn't about to give him up. When he felt Sora's tongue prod at his lips shyly, he pulled away with a grin. Sora was flushed and panting lightly, the cutest thing Tidus had ever seen.

"I think that we should take this slow. I…want to be serious. With you. A…serious relationship, I mean. So…yeah…" _Oh, shit._ Tidus cleared his throat. This was one of the things that Tidus was completely horrible at; admitting his feelings. He began to choke up at the clueless expression Sora was giving him, but soon the brunette smiled. "Thank you, Tidus. You don't know how much it means to me to hear that." Sora said, and Tidus wouldn't have believed the shake Sora's voice took on if he hadn't seen small tears leaking through the brunette's eyes.

"Sora…" Tidus began, but stopped himself. He himself was on the verge of tears; how was he supposed to comfort Sora? But Sora only shook his head, still smiling, and laid his head back on Tidus' chest. "Don't talk. I just…want to dream a little more." At this, Tidus couldn't help but smile, slowly bringing Sora down to the bed with him. "I'll make it so you don't have to dream anymore." He promised, to himself and to Sora. He wanted to—no, he _would_ be the one to take Sora's pain away, no matter what. He wrapped the boy up in his arms, kicking his and, somehow, Sora's shoes off with little effort. The thud they made on the floor was quieter than a pin dropping in comparison to the soft lullaby of Sora's breathing.

Everything felt perfect. Even though the light was on and he usually never slept with it on, and even though the position he was in made his neck cramp up, he felt _comfortable_. More than he ever had. And he felt complete.


	2. Chapter 2

**Second chapter. ;D Truthfully, the reason this took so long was 'cause I kinda forgot about it. But I got my first reviews on this story yesterday, by an _Azure-Link_ and a _zephyr hb_, whom I thank dearly for their words of encoragement. I'm glad I write the pair to their liking. This chapter goes to them especially ('cause without the reviews, I'da forgot about this), and to everyone reading. I'm glad people favorite my story, but drop me a review, too! I like to know how I'm doing (and get an ego boost).**

**And apologies if this arrives in your inbox more than once (for those who have set me to alert), because I had difficulties sending this in.**

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Tidus rolled over in his bed, snuggling closer to the warm body beside his. It was so warm and inviting…Tidus felt like he could stay there for days.

_Wait a sec…_

Tidus flung himself up in bed, a rather unmanly shriek catching in his throat when he looked at the 'intruder' beneath his sheets.

Sora sighed softly in his sleep, curling into himself and Tidus' lower half at the same time. The brunette was unclothed from the waist up, visible by the way the deep blue comforter slid down Sora's back and exposed the tan skin. The boy's cherubic face was relaxed and serene, azure shielded behind long lashed eyelids. His lips were just slightly parted, soft snores and sighs slipping out.

Ah, yes. Now Tidus remembered.

They had confessed to one another—the memory still made Tidus' heart flutter—and then some time later they had both fallen asleep. They didn't do anything, but Tidus didn't feel as if they had to. He was fine being with Sora like this.

But if Sora wanted to take his shirt off..._well_. Tidus wouldn't have _any_ problem with that. Sora almost always removed an article of clothing in his sleep; shirt, pants, _socks_. It was a habit of his that Tidus found himself really, _really_ appreciative of this morning. And every other time Sora slept over.

But much to the blonde's surprise…he hadn't once thought about Sora's bare chest—not like that, anyway. He was too focused on the warmth radiating from his brunette's body. And though he wouldn't admit it out loud, Tidus was a sucker for romantic things like that; it was all Selphie's fault, her and her gay (literally) novels.

Tidus smiled and stroked Sora's head lightly, the boy muttering sleepily and snuggling into Tidus' side. The blonde only smiled wider, eyes drifting to the neon-red numbered alarm clock on his beside table. It was 9:50, well past the time the bus came. _I guess we're not going to school…not that I mind._ Tidus stretched slowly, laying his arm around Sora. _He's absolutely gorgeous…and he doesn't even notice it._

Said brunette stirred, eyes fluttering open slowly. Sora sighed sleepily, picking his head up slowly before seeing Tidus with bleary eyes. He smiled then, letting his head drop back down.

"Mmm…good morning." Sora's voice was husky and velvety from sleep.

"Morning." Tidus whispered in reply, stroking Sora's cheek with his hand. Sora leaned into the touch, nuzzling Tidus' palm with his cheek.

"So last night…it wasn't a dream?" Sora asked, slowly as if he were having trouble forming sentences with his sleep clouded brain.

"No…" Tidus smiled softly when Sora beamed brightly.

"I'm glad." Then Sora paused. "What time is it?"

"Almost ten." He said nonchalantly, more interested in cuddling up to his love.

"Ten? Oh, jeez…I dunno if I can miss any schoolwork today…but I really want to stay with you." Sora hugged Tidus' middle as he spoke, then sighed. "I don't think I can face Riku today, either…" Ah, yes. The reason of their troubles; the devil himself. Tidus had almost forgotten about the bastard.

"I don't think you're in any position to be going anyway. So how's about I go get our work from school? I'll tell our teachers we're sick." Tidus suggested, tracing small patterns on Sora's back idly. He smiled, feeling the vibrations that the brunette's thoughtful hum caused.

"I don't see a problem with that. Just…be careful. Please don't do anything…brash." Sora pouted when Tidus' hands left his skin, but it was soon replaced with a blush when Tidus pressed his lips to Sora's shoulder blade.

"Don't worry, I'm not a kid anymore." Tidus laughed, then pushed himself from the bed (a bit reluctantly) to get dressed. Sora chuckled with a shake of his head, plopping back down on the bed. Tidus wondered if he could see the evil grin on his face.

Oh, Riku was in for it now.

"Excuse me, you're Riku, right?" Tidus asked with false politeness. He knew what he was about to do was wrong and that Sora'd probably get on him for it later, but he didn't really care.

"Yeah, that's me. What do you want?" He even hated the way the silver haired bastard _spoke_. Like he knew he was the shit or something. Tidus would show him in just a few moments…

"So you know Sora?" He kept his voice devoid of any one emotion.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. The brunette, right? Sweet ass? He was a good lay." Tidus nearly growled at the nonchalant way Riku spoke about Sora, _his_ Sora. "What about him?" At this, Tidus smiled.

He punched Riku in the face. Hard.

Tidus called forth all his hate and anger at any and everything, and used it to punch Riku in the face. And damn, did it feel _good_. Riku stumbled back, obviously shocked, before landing flat on his ass and holding his now bloody nose.

Everyone in the halls stopped, gathering around with hushed murmurs and sounds of awe. Someone had the balls to punch _Riku_, the king of the school, and by themselves, too. He heard the enraged whispers of some fangirls, but ignored them in favor of glaring down at Riku hatefully.

"I thought I should let you know that he's mine. And if you even _think_ about even looking at him again—you _and_ your friends—then, let's just say you won't be looking at anything ever again. Glad we could have this talk." He smiled again as he added the last part, then walked away happily with Sora's and his schoolwork, leaving a flustered, angry Riku on the floor.

"Oh, welcome back! Thank you for getting our work…I made something to eat and—" Sora paused in his speaking to look at Tidus curiously.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked, smiling a bit.

"Oh, n-nothing…you just look a little flustered." Damn, Sora's observational skills were amazing, as always. "Oh, Tidus…you didn't do anything to Riku, did you?" Sora looked worried, and this made Tidus feel a bit jealous.

"And? What, you still like that asshole?" Tidus asked, a bit more harshly than he knew was needed.

"Tidus…I don't want you to get in trouble, with him _or_ the school. You know how fast gossip travels." As he spoke, Sora put a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of a chair at the table.

"I may not…appreciate what Riku did completely, but I don't hate him; he's been my friend for a long time… Besides, without him we wouldn't be where we are now. I wouldn't wish anything bad on him." Sora smiled reassuringly, and Tidus calmed down a bit at the gesture.

Tidus was still a bit upset at Riku, but ignored it in favor of eating while Sora leaned against the sink. "What did you say to him?" Asked the brunette. Tidus couldn't stop the grin that broke out on his face.

"Told him to leave you alone, and that I'd kill him if he didn't."

"I figured as much." Sora said lightly, and with a chuckle. "But really, Tidus…please be careful."

"Don't worry, Sora!" Tidus held his thumbs up, grinning widely. "Nothin'll happen to me, I _promise_."

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**There it be. Reviews are welcomed and greatly appreciated. **


	3. Chapter 3

Holy crap! I can barely believe this! I was gone so long, dealing with family issues, I completely lost sight of my fics! D; Don't worry, fans of my fics! I'm getting myself settled, so I hope I'll be able to get steady. Sad thing is, this chapter has been completed for months. Apologies! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

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"Hey, Tidus." Sora smiled when he saw the familiar blonde plop down next to him at the lunch table, tray in hand. "What's wrong?" Sora questioned, frowning slightly. Tidus had been rather down the past two days, even though Riku and his crew left him alone…

"I feel like…like something's gonna happen." Tidus answered, shoving mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"'Something'? As in what?" Sora asked curiously, pushing his tray away from him in favor of leaning on the table. He leaned on Tidus discreetly, who smiled and gave him a playful nudge.

"Just something. Don't worry 'bout it, it usually happens when I'm about to have a pop quiz." Tidus replied, grinning largely.

"Okay…" Sora frowned, then shot up in his seat. "I have art club!" He declared, looking much like a mad scientist with his crazed expression. "Today is the speed draw contest!"

Tidus laughed. "Good luck, then."

"So you'll wait for me before you leave today, right?" Sora asked, the beginnings of a trademark pout spreading across his face.

Tidus chuckled. "Of course, right outside the school. I may have to run a few errands, but I'll be back before five thirty."

"Okay, but…be careful, Tidus." Yes, even Sora felt something bad was about to go down…Sora just prayed that it was a false alarm.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Tidus yawned, pushing himself off of where he leaned on the tall black flagpole outside the school. It was four thirty now, and Tidus supposed he could go pick up a few things from the store.

Of course, one (or a few) of those few things was for Sora, and he couldn't exactly run these errands on his own time (which was spent with Sora). So he decided he'd go now, and surprise his little brunette on the walk home.

His pocket vibrated suddenly, startling him. He whipped out his phone, flipping the cover to reveal a new text message. He opened it.

'Look up, second floor window.'

Tidus didn't even have to notice the number to know who it was. He looked up and smiled; there, in one of the many second floor windows, was Sora. He was peeking his head out from behind the blinds, a silly grin on his face. He hooked the index fingers and thumbs of his hands, putting them together to form a heart. Tidus, despite how comical the situation actually was, felt himself smile and his heart warm when Sora mouthed, "I love you" against the blue-tinted glass.

Tidus made his own heart with his fingers, and mouthed the words right back to Sora. He didn't have to hear to know the blue-eyed boy was giggling, but he was soon pulled from the window by Kairi. The red-head noticed Roxas, waving before she pulled Sora over to whatever they were really supposed to be doing.

Another vibration from his phone.

'I love you!'

_As if that hadn't been established already._ Tidus couldn't help but reply nonetheless.

'I love you, too.'

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

Sora frowned, pacing back and forth between the flagpole and the entrance of his school. Where was Tidus…? The sun was setting, and the blonde still hadn't made it back. He'd texted Tidus a few times, asking where he was.

There had been only one reply at four fifty five, _"Just talking to Riku."_

That was hint enough; something bad was happening.

"Oh come on, Sora." He chided himself, shivering lightly as the warm morning air became a little less than comfortably cool. "For all you know he's joking, or really is making nice with Riku." And not even Sora believed his own lies. For Tidus to make nice with Riku was like a jaguar making nice with…an arctic fox or something (he was ridiculously bad at making metaphors; Tidus would tease him for it.).

"Just hurry…" Sora whispered, hoping that maybe the breeze would carry his plea to the ears of his love.

"Hey, Sora!"

Hope swelled up in him, but died when he realized how the voice sounded. It was too high, too perky to be Tidus. "Hey, Kairi." He forced himself to smile when his redheaded friend ran over to him.

"It's seven in the afternoon! Club ended at five thirty five! Have you really been out here that long?!" She asked in shock. Sora nodded, in disbelief at himself. Had it really been that long?

"What about you, why are you here?" He asked.

She blushed at that. "Well, Hayner, Olette, Pence and I were out on a double date of sorts. I left my bag, and just came back to get it. We're meeting everyone at the arcade, remember?" Oh yes, Sora himself was asked to go but he declined due to some 'studying' he'd need to get done. With Tidus, of course.

That, and Riku would have been there. Sora just couldn't handle that; not without Tidus.

"How are you and Pence doing, by the way?" Sora asked, smiling. He needed some way to occupy himself until Tidus showed.

"We're doing great. He's so sweet, I really don't know what I'd do without him. He even…" Kairi paused mid-speech, then shook her head. "Nevermind."

Sora raised an eyebrow, but then remembered. No one knew about his relationship with Tidus, or his previous with Riku. They thought he was still single.

"I hope you find someone soon. Selphie thinks you're cute, maybe…" Kairi began, but Sora cut her off.

"I don't—" 'Need anyone; I have Tidus and he loves me,' would have been the rest, but he remembered that Kairi didn't know his sexuality, and didn't know that he loved Tidus. So instead: "I don't have any plans to date."

It wasn't that Sora was scared of letting people know. Because he had no problem letting others know; he knew that his most important people would accept him. It was Riku who was worried; he was known for screwing men, yes, but long-term relationships were off-limits to anyone that didn't have tits and a vagina. He'd fed Sora a bull-shit lie about 'protecting' the brunette, because he didn't want 'fans' to get mad. What a lie that had been, and Sora had been the one to fall right into it.

Sora just hadn't gotten a chance to talk about going public with Tidus. Tidus…Tidus was different. Tidus loved him, Tidus cared about him… Tidus would stay with him for as long as Sora wanted (as he had repeatedly assured the brunette), and if Sora had his way then that'd be forever. And while Sora regretted that Tidus couldn't be his first…he'd make sure that Tidus would be his only.

"—And then you'll get married, and have little Sor-Ifa's running about and then—"

"WHAT?!" Sora exclaimed, eyes wide at Kairi's prediction.

"Sor-Ifas. You know, Sora and Tifa together? Like…I dunno, _Cleon_ or something."

"No! Stop!" Sora really couldn't handle much more of this.

"Well, I pegged you for the type to like older women. But I must be going! Make sure you go home soon! It's really late." Kairi ran off to a van, which he assumed had the others in it, and hoped that Riku wasn't in there too.

"Eight already?" Sora asked himself, looking at his watch. Something had to be wrong with it. No, it was set right…so where was Tidus? Sora frowned. "Maybe…maybe if I go to the store and see if he's there…" Sora set off to the little corner store up the street. Tidus had mentioned going there…

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

"And you haven't seen him since?" Sora asked, worrying his lip between his teeth. The cashier shook his head, "Nope, sorry."

With a hurried 'thank you', Sora rushed out onto the sidewalk. He had to find Tidus, he just had to. Where could he be? It was approaching night and barely any of the sun was left and soon he wouldn't be able to see his hand in front of his face in this part of town and especially if he ran into _Riku_ and Riku always had friends who hurt people and he could barely imagine how Tidus was holding up and he wouldn't answer his _fucking_ phone and—

Sora's phone vibrated. He snatched it out, looking at the screen.

"_Hey, I'm alright. Meet me at my house, k?"_

"'K'?" Sora blinked. Tidus never shortened words like that. He, like Sora, would put the whole word. It must have been really dark or Tidus was really tired. _But…this message was sent at seven…_

Oh, yes. Sora's phone was really…stupid. If he wasn't standing straight in front of the person or right below a satellite or something then a text would take ages to send and ages to get to him.

"So all this time he's been fine?!" Sora scolded himself for being such a worry wart. He sighed deeply in relief, tears almost welling up in his eyes. Sora hurried on, taking a path through an alley as a short cut. Only the moon lit his way.

While walking, Sora heard shuffling from one of the other alleys he passed. His head whipped around, but he only saw a huddled pile in the corner. Someone's trash? He ignored it, picking up his pace to hopefully explain the situation to Tidus and hope that the boy didn't think Sora had stood him up.

His phone vibrated again; probably Tidus. "Oh, I hope he isn't mad…" Sora flipped his phone open. What he saw made him freeze, chills running down his spine.

"_help me"_

That was it. Just those two words. What about those other texts? This had to be some sort of prank…Sora checked the time it was sent; eight fifty-seven. He checked the current time.

Eight fifty-eight.

Sora spun around dread filling him as he ran back to the alley way. "No…no, no…" It couldn't be. No, it _wasn't_. Sora stepped in slowly, darkness engulfing him like some soul-sucking black cloud. He approached the pile slowly, almost screaming when something chimed in the darkness.

That was Tidus' ringtone.

"Tidus!" Sora gasped, throwing himself down to the body. He turned it over carefully, almost fainting when Tidus' bruised and bloodied face came into view. The suntanned male was pale now, shivering even. "Oh, god…" Sora couldn't fight the tears that welled up in his eyes. He pulled Tidus as slowly as he could into his lap, hugging the blonde to his chest with one hand and using the other to dial 911. He had just pushed talk, sobbing, when the phone was kicked from his hand and nearly took his own face along with it.

"Riku!" Sora gasped when he saw who it was, but wasn't nearly as shocked as he should have been. The phone lay face up on the ground, but Riku paid it no heed.

"What did you _do_ to him, Riku?" Sora glared, voice full of venom. He thought that he and Riku could be friends, and he thought he could forgive Riku, but that had crossed the line.

"Little shit wanted to disrespect me. So I showed him what happens to people who disrespect me." Sora was enraged as he listened to Riku speak. He held Tidus to his chest tightly, and felt the blonde stirring. _He can't wake up now…_ Sora didn't want Tidus to see this.

"Hm. Looks like he's not the only one that needs to be punished. What's this here?" Riku feigned curiosity as he took Tidus' cellphone from his own pocket.

"Oh, look. A text. Quite a few. Let's read. 'I love you, Sora.' 'I love you, too.'" At this, Riku smirked.

Sora only glared harder. He remembered those, the ones Sora and Tidus had been sending back and forth after they first started dating.

"So he loves you? Like how _I_ 'loved' you? Does he know how to love a whore?" At this, Sora tensed.

"It's _nothing_ like what you did. He cares about me."

"Does he even know who you are? What you are? _How_ you are?" At this, Sora's eyes softened.

"He knows...about you and I. And he doesn't care."

"Does he know about how you cheated on me?"

"That's not fair, Riku!" Sora shouted, purely pissed off. "You'd been cheating on me since the start! We weren't even together anymore when _that_ happened!"

Riku went from smirking to just being plain…emotionless. He walked over to Sora slowly, yanking him up by the collar. Tidus fell from Sora's arms, and Sora reached out to him only to have his arms smacked away by Riku.

"When I want someone, when I _mark_ them," Riku started, tapping Sora's neck lightly. Sora's skin felt as though it would shed itself at his touch, disgust welling up inside of him. "they're mine. Forever. Whether we're together or not. Just like _you_ are mine. One of my dolls." He dropped Sora, and Sora landed on his knees before the silverette. He bit back tears—he wouldn't give Riku the pleasure of seeing him break.

"On your knees so soon? Insatiable, as always."

Sora felt Riku's hands in his hair, and couldn't stop himself from gagging. "Get off of me. Let us go home."

Those hands grasped his hair, yanking his face up so he could see Riku's smirk. "No. Make me." He pushed Sora down, crawling on top of the brunette.

Sora looked to Tidus, who was facing them and still unconscious. A tear slipped from his eyes. _I'm sorry…_ He closed his eyes.

"Aw, don't cry." Riku's tone was anything but comforting. "It was bound to happen. He was nothing anyway. You didn't love him, and he didn't love you." Sora's eyes snapped open, and with those words something inside him broke.

Like an angry, flaming volcano, it just...exploded.

He punched Riku in the face, harder than he had ever punched anything ever before.

The fact that Riku was knocked off of him by the sheer force was shocking, if not extremely pleasing. He got up as Riku nursed his injured face, running over to Tidus and picking him up as best he could.

He made to haul ass straight out of that alley, but was nearly knocked over by someone rushing into him. He fell back, hitting his head on the hard ground and dropping Tidus _again_. Sora winced, thinking about the injuries that Tidus would have.

All because of him.

"No, no, Sora…it's not going to be that easy." Riku picked a dazed Sora up by his neck, and his head wasn't the only reason his vision was going blurry. His air was severely cut off as he was slammed against the wall, Riku pushing his own body against him.

Riku's grip was relentless, even when Sora grabbed at the silverette's hands with his own in an attempt to pry them off.

"Oh, what's wrong, Sora?" Riku asked, mock concernedness seeping through his voice. Sora couldn't speak, only choke against Riku's fingers digging into his neck.

"Oh, you can't breathe?" Riku's grip loosened only slightly.

"If you want to live, _beg_ for it." The voice was by his ear, invading his mind and making him almost physically sick. He couldn't handle this...

But he wouldn't beg.

"Go _fuck_ yourself." Sora growled. If he had the oxygen to spare, he'd have spit in the smirking male's face.

Riku chuckled. "Why do it myself when I have you to do it for me?"

At this, Sora only smirked bitterly. "Not anymore you don't."

"Oh I don't?"

Sora was yanked from the wall, and thrown back onto the ground.

-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-!-

"Sora…" Tidus frowned, still getting used to having to see out of only one eye, "You don't have to keep hiding in the corner."

"…" The brunette was silent, but he did step up to the foot of Tidus' bed. His eyes were downcast.

"Sora…"

"How much did you hear?" Sora said suddenly, his voice portraying no emotion. Tidus winced, he wasn't ready for that question, nor was he prepared for the lifelessness in his love's voice.

"…He almost raped you, Sora." Just saying it, even the 'almost', came as a difficult task. His throat wanted to close over the words, cutting them off and banishing their existence. How long had he lain here earlier, hoping and praying to himself that everything he heard was a lie?

"As long as he left you alone, I wouldn't have cared."

"Sora, Riku knew that! Do you even know what he would have done to you had help not arrived?!"

"I would have lived. I would have been fine, as long as you were alright."

"Sora, don't say that!" Tidus really didn't want to hear that; he didn't want to hear how much Sora would go through to keep him safe. Not when Tidus was supposed to be the one to bear the brunt of it all, so that Sora could finally be happy.

"But it's true." Sora looked down, his hair obscuring his eyes, and the way his shoulders shook, Tidus thought for a minute that he was crying. Until he looked up, eyes almost angry. "What were you doing down there, anyway? How did they get to you?"

"I went to the store, like I said." Tidus explained. "And…I saw a stray cat. So I went back into the store, got some catfood, and fed it. That's when Riku and friends," Tidus noted the flinch Sora made when Tidus said it. "came to me. And they said they had to talk to me about you. But, as you can see, we did more talking with our fists. That coward couldn't fight me himself, so he got his friends to do it instead. And…I guess I passed out or something, because all I remember is when I woke up to you and him…"

Sora was shaking now. "Sora…?"

"Tidus…god, Tidus…I'm so sorry." Tidus hadn't been prepared for the brunette to fall to his knees beside Tidus' bed, sobbing. "I should have been more careful…what was I even thinking, dragging you into this?" Sora shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry…"

Tidus frowned. He could feel what Sora was thinking; probably thinking he was a failure, and that he didn't deserve Tidus' love. "Sora. Sora, look at me." Though his healing ribs still hurt, Tidus pushed himself up off of the bed, leaning over it so that he could reach out and cup Sora's cheek. The boy still kept his head down.

"Sora, please…" Tidus had all but begged.

The brunette complied, lifting his head slowly to face Tidus. Tidus felt like he could break at the sight before him; the reddened cheeks and the tears streaming down them, the tears filling those gorgeous blue eyes, those lips contorted to fight back sobs…god, what had Riku done to the two of them?

"Sora, I love you." Tidus had to fight the tremor in his voice, and the tears that threatened to fall and join his lover's on the floor. "I love you…I want to help you. I want to take your pain and make it mine. If I can't take it all for you, I'll share it with you. We're in this together, and we're not going back because of some bastard." He smiled then, taking Sora's hands in his own.

"T-Tidus…" Sora seemed taken aback by the strong emotions in Tidus' words.

"Please, let me hear your answer. Tell me you want this, too." Tidus whispered, bringing Sora's hands up to his lips. He kissed each of the fingers gently, nuzzled his cheek against the hands.

Sora finally spoke. "I…I want this." He whispered, voice fighting against tiny sobs. "I love you, too…"

"Then come up here with me." Tidus smiled, more than pleased that it wasn't a one-way effort of love. Sora nodded, standing and sitting on the bed.

"Not like that." Tidus shook his head, and Sora wore a look of confusion until Tidus's arms wrapped around his waist. The brunette squeaked, and Tidus laughed as he let himself fall back onto the bed with Sora in his arms. Sora's back was against Tidus' chest, and Tidus' hands resting on Sora's hips. Sora's fingers had laced themselves with the blonde's own.

"Like _this_." He whispered, his breath ghosting across Sora's ear.

"O-oh…" Sora gasped, his eyes fluttering shut. Tidus smiled, burying his face into those spiky brunette locks.

The nurse found them like that later in the day, asleep and content in each other's arms.


End file.
